Riverfarm revival

With a 40-hectare holding of prime riverfront on the Hawkesbury River, UWS is committed to revitalising the UWS Hawkesbury Riverfarm , creating a collaborative learning space for education and community activities.

The Riverfarm area has a rich history — the Darug people are the traditional custodians of the land and yams and other indigenous plant foods are still growing on the riverbanks today. The holding was gazetted in 1799 in its current form — bearing in mind that colonial settlement of the Hawkesbury occurred in 1794 — and currently comprises a 1900s cottage, a series of timber-framed farm buildings, silos and an historically significant water-pumping tower.

Several projects are currently happening at the site, with fantastic potential for engineering, education, sustainability, business and carbon projects to be undertaken in the future.

“Dreaming on the Riverfarm – Stories from the Hawkesbury” is a current project putting together an oral history recording of the site in consultation with the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation and the Hawkesbury Alumni Chapter. The recording will be available online and for site tours.

The riverbanks are seeing the fruits of ongoing combined efforts in a cofunded project with the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority (HNCMA), a professional bush regenerator and TAFE Western Sydney Institute (WSI TAFE) students who are currently undertaking weed management and replanting tasks, revegetating the banks with species commonly found in River Flat Eucalypt Forest.

“As a result of this ongoing work, the stability of the riverbank and the condition of the native vegetation on the site should improve,” says Jen Dollin, Sustainability Coordinator for UWS’s Office of Sustainability. “The University, HNCMA and WSI TAFE have recognised that a long-term commitment to the site is critical to improving the condition of the native vegetation on the site.”

The redevelopment of an open-air teaching space is due for completion by the end of the year. This area of the site is seeing the transformation of a shed into an outdoor living and learning laboratory that links land, food, culture and water for a range of educational purposes. WSI TAFE students studying carpentry, electrical and plumbing are helping with the renovation site, gaining green skills in their respective field of study.

The UWS Riverfarm was featured at Rio +20 as an international case study of international best practice in bringing together school, VET and Higher Education with community groups.
Once the open-air learning facility has been completed, the community, school groups, TAFE and UWS students will be able to use the space for education purposes.

For more information about the Riverfarm project and site, visit the Riverfarm webpage.